First rule of PR: Don't actively damage your brand.
You'd think so, right? Actually, even better... First rule of PR: Prevent your brand from being damaged.
That's like... Your main job. If someone says something bad about your brand in public, it's PRs job to talk to press about it and try to give them the other perspective, so hopefully, reports won't be as bad. Of course that also in and of itself entails not actively damaging your brand.
Of course if I was in charge of PR for this one I would probably be crying right now. There's no translating this to look less bad in public.
I once worked a contract position for a major tech company and two weeks earlier I was told my contract was being extended for a year. I got an email from my contract company asking to call for a check-in, and I thought nothing of it.
When I got the call, I was told I was being let go and that this was my last day of employment. On a Friday, at 5:00. To add insult to injury, a trainee was sitting in on the call, which I had agreed to because I thought it was just a simple check-in.
So yes. It happens.
Wow that sucks.....
I think that's possible here too though. You were on a year by year contract that was about to run out and you were waiting on the extension, which they told you you would get, but then you didn't, right? If that's the case that is...... Super unethical but legal I think... Unless you already signed the extension papers.
If the guy who did this is on a year by year contract they can just let him go without reasons when his contract ends in a few months. But I doubt he is. Not sure about Austria but in Germany you can only have someone on a year by year contract for 2 years max. After you either employ them permanently or let them go. So this is most likely a permanent contract, and those are hard to get out of from the employer's side.
That's not to belittle your own situation that you experienced, cause that just isn't right, regardless of laws. What if you had bought a new car or smth because you were of the belief that you would get your contract extended....